Extract the embedded jpg from a raw image

Problem

You have a digital camera, for example a Canon 300D or Digital Rebel, and you want to extract the embedded jpg from the raw image (.crw file, in Canon's case). (If you are running the hacked 300D/Digital Rebel firmware this becomes even more useful as you can actually embed a large, high quality jpg in the raw image.)

Keywords

Raw, CRW, jpg, jpeg, embedded, thumbnail, image, Canon, Digital Rebel, 300D.

Solution

Use ExifTool by Phil Harvey. (Windows users may get lucky by first installing the Perl interpreter from ActivePerl.)

Say you have a file crw_0001.crw, now run:

exiftool -b -JpgFromRaw crw_0001.crw > crw_0001.jpg

crw_0001.jpg is the embedded jpg you were looking for.

Now you may want to look at the Copy EXIF data from one file to another section to copy EXIF data from the crw file to the jpg you just created.